Merry Christmas
by Harrys-ActingAngel
Summary: Rated just to be safe. Harry and Hermione are dating. Harry and Ron are invited to spend the Winter Holidays at the Granger's. You know what? I am horrible when it comes to summaries so why don't you check it out for yourself! Please RR! No flames!
1. Default Chapter

Merry Christmas  
By: Samantha Essig  
Chapter One  
  
DISCLAIMER- I own nothing. J.K. Rowling owns EVERYTHING. The story of my life!  
  
Hermione Granger stood at the foot of her four poster, looking down into her trunk and racking her brain of anything she may have forgotten to pack. She gasped as she remembered two of the things she would have most hated to leave at Hogwarts over the Christmas Holidays. Running to her bedside table, she snatched up her pink pig stuffed animal and her picture of Harry that beamed up and waved at her from behind the shiny glass. Hermione smiled at the sight of it and carefully tucked it between two books in her trunk, then she gently placed her pig, Omen, as she called him on top of everything else and shut the lid tightly.  
She thought of the taunting she would receive from Ron if he knew she slept with a stuffed animal. Truthfully, almost every girl in Hermione's dormitory does or did in the recent past and they had all made a pact to keep that from the boys. Besides, when all else failed, they made wonderful listeners and great break-up buddies.  
This year was one of the few years in which Hermione would be leaving Hogwarts to spend the holidays at home. She normally stayed to be with Harry and Ron and to get work done in the library. This year, however, The Granger's had invited Harry and Ron to celebrate Christmas with them in an attempt to get Hermione to come home and visit. It wasn't that Hermione disliked being home, she just didn't like being without her best friend and her boyfriend for so long and being almost completely cut off from the wizarding world.  
Both Harry and Ron had accepted the invitation with great joy. Harry, because he wanted to spend a real, family based Christmas with people who didn't wince at the sight of him, as well as the girl he loved more than life itself, and Ron because, well, he had never experienced a completely muggle Christmas.  
Hermione dragged her trunk down the spiral staircase that lead to the Gryffindor Common Room, checking her watch in the process. It read 10:15 in the morning. The Hogwarts Express was due to leave Hogsmeade Station at exactly 11:00, which meant that they must hurry if they didn't want to miss the train.  
Harry and Ron sat in squishy over stuffed chairs by the blazing fire. They both looked over at Hermione as she stepped off the last stair. Harry got up, walked over to Hermione, wrapped his arms around her waist, and gently kissed her. She smiled at him then said, "Harry, are you sure you want to spend the holidays with my parents? I mean, they can be a little embarrassing and they aren't at all educated in-"  
Harry silenced her with another small kiss, "Hermione, I'm sure it will all be fine. Anything is better than the Dursley's or staying here alone all break. I'd miss you too much anyway."  
"Hellllllooooo!!!" Ron yelled from his chair, "When you two are done, we'd better head down to the station if you want to go at all."  
"Alright Ron, c'mon, lets go."  
  
The trio made it to the train station just in time. A man in a worker's uniform took their trunks from them and lead them onto the train. Because so many students choose to stay at school during break, finding a empty compartment to sit in was a piece of cake compared to the start of term. Harry, Hermione and Ron quickly selected one and piled in and sat down just as the train began to move.  
Before long, they had a competitive game of Exploding Snap going as the train trudged on through think forest and beautiful snow cover country side.  
Around 12:30, the old witch that pushed the food cart appeared at the doors and Harry treated everyone to a large stack of Cauldron Cakes and nice warm Butter beers that warmed them all from the inside out.  
Later that afternoon, just as the winter sky began to darken and a light snow was starting to fall, the Hogwarts Express pulled into Kings Cross Station.  
Railroad workers opened the doors immediately after the train had stopped and began helping students out onto the platform where eager parents stood waiting to greet their children.  
"So, where are they Hermione?" asked Ron as they stepped off the train. Both Harry and Ron had briefly met Mr. And Mrs. Granger, but had never really spoken to them.  
"Obviously not here, are they Ron? In case you forgot, only witches and wizards can get onto Platform Nine and Three Quarters. My parents have to wait beyond the wall."  
Ron went red around the ears and followed his friends towards the area where men in uniforms were unloading all the trunks from the train. It took a few minutes for all of them to locate their luggage and get back through the large crowd to the brick wall that they casually leaned into. Harry, Ron, and Hermione appeared on the other side without drawing any attention to themselves.  
Hermione looked all around for her parents but couldn't se them.  
"Maybe they aren't here ye-"  
"Hermione! Honey!" came a very excited woman's voice, "Over here Honey!"  
Hermione turned in the direction of the voice; Harry and Ron followed.  
"Mum! Dad!" yelled Hermione in that high pitched, girlie tone that made Ron and Harry cringe. She dropped her book bag and left her trunk where it was before running up and hugged both of her parents tightly, "Oh, Mum, Dad, come here. I want you to meet some people." she said grabbing her mother's hand and leading her to the spot where Harry and Ron stood and had kept standing since Hermione ran to her parents.  
"Okay, Mummy, Daddy, this is my best friend, Ron Weasley and my...ummm...boyfriend, Harry Potter.  
Mrs. Granger's voice seemed to catch in her throat for a moment, but she quickly recovered, "It's a pleasure to meet both of you." she said, giving both boys a quick hug.  
"We are very pleased to have you both here to spend the holidays with us." stated Mr. Granger, holding out his hand. Both Harry and Ron shook it and thanked the both of them for allowing them to be there.  
"Well, you all must be starving," said Hermione's father, putting a arm around his daughter, "Shall we go out for dinner?"  
  
A/N - Hope you liked the first chapter! If I get enough reviews from people who liked the story, I will continue with it and I really want to keep going so please review! No flames though please. I'm not good at dealing with that! Thanks! 


	2. Home with the Granger's

Merry Christmas  
Chapter 2  
By: Samantha Essig  
  
DISCLAIMER- I had a dream last night that I was J.K. Rowling! I had created the most amazing series of stories in the whole world. I had adoring fans! I was rich and had everything I wanted! There was even this crazy 15 year old girl in Albany Oregon who was 100% obsessed with my creation. It was great! But then I woke up, realized that I was that girl, looked around thoughtfully at all my posters, and cried. I hate not being J.K.!  
  
A/N– I'm so sorry to those of you who enjoyed chapter 1 and actually wanted to read another chapter. My family and I went to Yellowstone National Park for a week and I had no computer access! Nooo!!! But I did get tons of writing done with my FF stories! Yeah! Please read and review! I will love you forever!!! Thanks! Oh!! And I am really going out on a limb here so give me a break!! :)  
  
It was nearly ten o' clock when Harry, Ron, and the Granger's arrived home that evening.  
"Hermione, would you please show Harry and Ron where they will be sleeping?" Mrs. Granger asked.  
Hermione nodded and motioned for them to follow her. They made to grab for their trunks but Mr. Granger waved them on. They thanked him and followed Hermione up the staircase.  
Once upstairs, Hermione began to show her friends around.  
"Alright, this is the bathroom," she said, pushing open a door to reveal a brightly painted yellow room, "And this is my room."  
They stepped inside and Hermione flipped on the light. The room fit Hermione well. The walls were painted a pale pink and an elegant looking mirror hung on the wall beside the bed that was covered in a fluffy, white, feather comforter with matching pillows. A bedside table stood to the right revealing a lamp and a telephone. There was a window with a pale pink window seat and the same matching pillows that were on her bed. Along another wall was a huge bookshelf and desk. The bookshelf held tons of books, both magic and Muggle. The desk help a small stack of CD's, boom box, and another lamp. Lastly was a long shelf that spanned the whole width of her room. On top were a whole lot of photographs.  
Harry moved closer and quickly noticed that some of the photographs were moving and some were not. The moving ones smiled widely up at him from behind the shiny glass and Harry recognized them mainly as himself, Hermione and Ron as well as some of their other classmates doing a number of different things over the past six years. There was one from the Quidditch World Cup, one from their camping trip with the Weasley's last summer, and even the one that Ron had taken of himself and Hermione last Christmas Eve, the night he had asked her to be his girlfriend.  
The Muggle photos were of old friends, family pets, her parents, and one of a young Hermione holding a small baby.  
"Hermione, who is this? That your holding?"  
Hermione moved closer to get a better look of what Harry was talking about, "Oh, thats Emilie." she said softly then turned away and sat down on her fluffy bed.  
Ron and Harry exchanged glances, wondering what was wrong.  
Harry sat down beside Hermione and wrapped a comforting arm around her shoulders, "Who's Emilie?" he asked gently.  
Hermione sighed deeply and began to speak, "Emilie is- was my little sister but she died. The year before I started at Hogwarts."  
"Hermione, you never told us you had any siblings. I always thought you were an only child." said Ron  
"Thats because I never told anyone about her. After she died, I became really depressed, but I didn't want anyone sympathy so I kept her a secret. I have regretted doing that everyday but you guys have got to understand that I didn't lie to you. I just couldn't tell you the truth the truth then because I know thats what you would think."  
Harry looked into her eyes. Tears were forming in them and he knew that this was hard for her to talk about, but a question has arisen within him and he couldn't stop himself from asking it.  
"Hermione, how did Emilie die?" he asked.  
"She has Leukemia. She just kept getting sick and weak and we kept taking her to the doctor but they would just say that she simply had the flu and all she needed was rest. Yeah right. Anyway, when she didn't get better, we took her back. They ran some tests and ended up finding the cancer...too late though. It was already to far along and there was nothing that anyone could do about it."  
Tears were streaming down her face now and Harry hugged her tightly. She buried her face in his chest and began to cry harder.  
  
Hermione awoke early the next morning from a fitful sleep. She heard movement from down in the kitchen and smelled her mother's famous chocolate chip pancakes.  
Hermione sat up and felt an ache in her head that had come from the many thoughts and dreams that had floated through her head during the night.  
Groggy and in pain she got up, put her bathrobe on, and walked into the bathroom. Her hair was falling out of the ponytail she had put it in the last night. She pulled it out, ran a brush through her hair and put it back up again before heading down the stairs.  
In the kitchen, Hermione's mother was busy bustling around, making a huge, magnificent breakfast. Her father was sitting at the table, reading the morning paper and sipping coffee. Ron and Harry were no place in sight  
"Good morning." mumbled Hermione  
Both of her parents looked up at her.  
"Good morning, dear." they said in unison.  
"How did you sleep?" asked her father pulling out a chair at the table beside him.  
Hermione sat down and put her head in her hands, "Horrible." she said  
"Hermione looked up. Both her parents were looking at her with worry in their eyes.  
"Oh, oh no. I guess that I'm just not used to sleeping in my own bed yet. I mean, I haven't slept there for nearly five months," she paused, "Where are Harry and Ron?"  
"Still sleeping I supposed. Why don't you go and wake them. Breakfast is ready." Said Mrs. Granger sweetly  
"Alright." she mumbled, getting up and climbing the steep staircase once again. She knocked gently on the boy's door. A muffled groan was heard from behind it and Harry opened the door looking very tiered. His eyelids, however, flew open when he saw Hermione standing before him.  
She smiled and he hugged her tightly, just as he did every morning when he saw her.  
"Are you both up?" she asked looking past Harry and into their bedroom.  
"Ron's not. Wanna help me get him up?" he asked her.  
"Sure, I guess."  
Harry turned and Hermione followed him into the room.  
Ron lay snoring in one of the two beds the Granger's had provided for them.  
"Ron."  
He twitched.  
"Ron!"  
He rolled over.  
"RON!"  
He sat up straight and looked around.  
Hermione erupted into a fit of giggles.  
"What are you doing here?" he asked surprised.  
"W-waking you u-up." laughed Hermione, "B-breakfast is ready."  
  
When Hermione, Harry, and Ron reached the kitchen, Mrs. Granger had laid out one of the most delicious breakfasts that any of them had ever seen. A humongous plate of steaming pancakes sat in the center of the table with all the fixing and sides you could ever want arranged around it.  
"Dig in!" she said and all five of them sat down and took some pancakes.  
"I really miss my mum's cooking while I'm at school so I take full advantage of it while I'm at home." Hermione said to Harry and Ron  
"What would you all like to do today?" asked Mrs. Granger, "We could go up to the hills and play in the snow. Or I could drop you off at the mall. Any preferences?"  
Hermione shrugged,  
"I don't care. You guys  
choose."  
"I don't really mind. Whatever you want to do." said Ron.  
"Its up to you Harry. What sounds good?" asked Hermione.  
Harry thought for a minute, "Can we go to the hills? I have never really had the opportunity to play in snow. Real snow."  
"Sounds good to me!" said Ron as he finished off his pancakes and reached for another stack."  
  
An hour later, Hermione was showered and dressed for the day ahead. She sat in her window seat, watching the gentle snow collect on the driveway and sidewalk. She held a old and very warn out picture in her hand and she often found herself glancing at it.  
There was a knock at the door and before Hermione could say anything, Harry entered. Hermione made to push the picture out of sight but it was to late.  
"Hey honey, whats that of?" he asked, pointing to the picture.  
Hermione sighed and held it out for him. He took it.  
"Its me and Emilie. Thats the very last photo that we had taken together before she died.  
The picture showed a smiley, joyful Hermione crouching down beside a hospital bed on which laid a weak and fragile looking young girl who was smiling non the less.  
Harry looked up at Hermione, sat down beside her, and put his hand on top of hers. She looked at him then said, "You know whats funny? Emilie was starting to show magical abilities when she got sick. She would be a third year and Hogwarts this year, too."  
"I'm sorry." he said softly  
Hermione sat there in Harry's embrace for what seemed like hours, but before she knew it, Ron stood at the doors.  
"Hermione, Harry, are you ready?" he asked, "your mum and dad are already getting into the car."  
"Alright Ron, I'm coming."  
"Hermione, are you okay? You look really upset." he asked her.  
"Yeah, yeah, Ron I'm fine," she said standing up, "C'mon. Lets go play in the snow!" 


End file.
